Method of making decalcomania stamps



Dec. 9, 1941. A. A'. w|1rNEB'El METHOD oF MAKING DEcALcoMANIA STAMPSv Filed May 3, 1938 @y TV5/hmm@ reame o. Va, 1941" 2.265.659 'e e v Mnrnop or MAKING nncapcomma Y sums f aum wmneboi, New man, N. Y., aliignor to American Bank Notey Company, New York, N. Y., #corporation of, New York i application my r, 193s, serial No. 5,690

(Cl. .4l-33) 1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to -decalcomanias of the type having a transfer body which is secured to a paper backing by a water soluble adhesive. v

One 'object of the invention is to ,provide a way of making such decalcoman'ias which is simpler and better than any prior way. with which the applicant is familiar.

Another object is to produce --decalcomanias on which the printing of the significant matter on the transfer body may be effected bythe use of engraved steel printing elements, The -advantages of steel engravings from a protective standpoint are well known. The actual printing on the transfer body may be effected by a single impression from such elements, or, where multicolored prints are desired, the separate colors may be applied successively. Multi-colored printing has advantages in giving an attractive appearance to the printed matter and, at the same time, such printing may be so done as to increase the difficulty of imitating or counterfeiting the print.

Another object of the invention is to provide a way of making a transfer body which permits easily varying the thickness-of the body to meet various requirements and which also does not cause variations or irregularities in the total thickness through the backing paper, adhesive and transfer body to suchanl extent as winterfere with uniformity inprinting. The method employed compensates for any slight irregularities in the paper base `or Vthe adhesive, resulting in a uniformly smooth surface to receive the imprint as well as a uniform overall thickness between the printing couple.

Another object and -a very important one, is to make it possible to employ Aa. lithographie printing process in making the imprint upon a transfer body. So far as known, this has not heretofore been possible because of the manner in which the transfer body has been made.

In this specification the novel features are disclosed in connection with stamps suitable for showing the payment of taxes, but as indicated from the foregoing statement the invention is not limited to that use but may be employed for other D'JI'DOBBS.

While many of the objects have been stated above, others and perhaps equally important objects will beco'me apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing: e

Fig. l shows diagrammatically an apparatus which is suitable for applying the transfer body to a paper backing which has previously Ibeen coated with a water soluble adhesive.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a sheet of stamps illustrating the invention.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a cross-section through a' sheet ci :stamps such as is shown in F18. 2.

' In producing stamps such as shown in Figs. 2

vand-3 a web of paper I is rst coated with a water soluble adhesive 9 and dried, and is then threaded through a machine which applies a continuous coating of a transfer body material I0 on the side of the web which carries the adhesive. This transfer body material is occasionally referred to hereinafter as the ink base. Any apparatus suitable for the purpose may be employed. In the one shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 the paper web enters at I I and passes under 4a large driven roller I2 land around a smaller roller I3 which gives a somewhat sharp bend to the web opposite a driven roller brush Il. The

` brush Il is driven in a direction opposite to the direction of the travel vof the paper web II and runs in contact with a furnishing roll I5 which rotates in a tank or pan I6 containing a supply ofthe material employed for making the ink base. The furnishing. roll 'is preferably a driven roll and may be of wood or any other material suitable to keep the roller brush Il supplied from the pan I6. A doctor roll or brush I1 may be employed to cooperate with the roller brush Il .to distribute the ink base material on the brush although this doctor roll is not essential. As it rotates the brush I4 will lapply 'a fairly uniform' coating of ink base material to `the adhesive on the paper web.

The transfer body material or ink base is vthen spread upon the dry adhesive by successively acting brushes diagrammatically shown at I8.

"I'hese brushes, which may be turned to accommodate forwear, are adjustable in the guides I9 and may be yset with great accuracy so that by their successive operations the coating of ink base may be regulated yto a nicety. Usually the coat of body or base'will, after -.leaving the last brush, be approximately .001 of an inch thick but this may be varied, particularly where a thicker transfer body is desired.

After 'the transfer material has been applied the web of paper `passes away as shown' at 2l to any desired form of drier. A `fest'oon drier is preferred.

The material used for the ink base may be of any suitable composition, but it is preferred to use a material which will dry quickly and uniformly and which will have enough strength to permit easy transfer to the article to which the body is to be ailixed. At the same time the material is preferably one which is fragile `enoughto break if an attempt is made to remove it from the surface to which it has been transferred Vand affixed.

From the foregoing it win be clear that the side of the paper web which carries the water soluble adhesive will be given a continuous coating of "of the units. printing decalcomanias by the lithographie printthe transfer body or ink base material and that by use of the spreading brushes I8 the materiall will have a very smooth surface;v In additiomby using the spreading brushes' the thickness through the coating, the adhesiveand the paper will be uniform, as the coating may be slightly thinner or thicker at one point than `at others if l any irregularity in the thickness of either the adhesive or the paper must be .compensated for.;

In the preferred practices-after tlie.transfei".;

sheets or strips of stamps may, if desired, be perforated or rouletted as indicated at 25 in Fig.

*2 so' 'as to permit tearing a sheet oristrip into.

body material is dried the paper is run through a printing press and the imprints 22' (Figs. 2 and 3) of the significant matter are applied. The'.

printing press may be of any suitable type for printing continuously from longwebs or rolls or the coated web of paper may be cut into sheets and fed to a press one at a time.` Y

As indicated above, for certain purposes steel engraved printing'faces may/,be employed. Asis Y impressions in different inks and inks of different colcrs'l Any press ory combination of presses suitable for the purpose may be employed.'

So faras known, inmaking prior decalcomania stamps the transfer body or ink base is built up .by successive super-imposed printing press irn-v pressions of the ink base material until the desired thickness of the ink base is attained. 'Ihis gives a transfer unit, but as an incident the ladhe'sive is necessarily exposed betweenthe margins This hasl heretofore prevented ing process becausefthe wet plates used in Vsuch a process will. dissolve and tov some extent pick up the adhesive. In preparing the ink base acvcordingfto the present invention .the coating is continuous andthe adhesive is protected at all points, so that the trouble Iindicated cannot occur. As a result, decalcomanias such as stamps may be printed by the lithographie printing proc-A ess with just as much freedom from trouble as with any other lithographie printing.

It is, of course, desirable .that the printed ink base be divided into separately transferable units eachA carrying the desired significant printed matter. It is desirable that this be done after the sheet or web has been printed. The separation is effected by cutting between. the imprints, along intersecting lines, through the transfer body or ink base, preferably by using cutters arranged to `make thecuts asthe .paper is drawn past the cutters. In the best practice the cuts extend throughthe transfer body to the adhesivebut may,y of course, extend into or through the adhesive if desired.

Cuts such as were `lust mentioned are shown at'23 and 24 in Fig. 2 as intersectingv cuts, and in somewhat exaggerated form inrFig.3.

It will be apparent that by making the intersecting cuts 23 and 24 the transfer body or ink basewill be divided into separately removable units and that each unit. may have a relatively wide margin around the significant matter printed on the unit. This will give the stamp a distinctive appearance, and will also permit slight variations in making the cuts without encroaching upon the printed fields of the stamps.

In order to facilitate applying the stamps, the

'sections which may be easily handled. Preferably such perforations or roulettes should extend through the backing paper or at least far enough into the paper to permit of easy tearing.

In applying the transfers one of the sections is iriQistenerlas unitsare needed and the units are hens slid oiff.I

.areto lielied Preferably the adhesive should be of a quickly absorptive type and should also be of such a nature that it will adhere firmly to Cellophaneand like wrappers as well as to surfaces of other materials. Such adhesives contain, or should contain, a hygroscopiclsubstance. such as glycerin. This fosters permanent adhesion, as it prevents the adhesive, from becoming so dry that it will have a tendency to scale off of the surface to which it has been ailixed. The

hygroscopic `effect lmay', if desired, be increased by adding a little glycerin, 'say 3%, tothe'water used for moistening the transfers preparatory to applying them. The material used for the transfer body or ink base is preferably of such a nature as not to interfere with at least partial drying of the adhesive when the surface .to which the stamp is affixed is not a moisture absorbing one. v

The amount of adhesive employed in preparing the web is such that after ithas been moistened it will permit the transfer body or ink base to'be transferred and ailixed, but the base will not car'ryjwith it enough adhesive to permit of a second moistening and transfer to still anothersurface. Further, the material of the transfer body should not havea fibrous structure and the body should be thin, so that any attempt to remove a tax stamp, for example, or to make a second transferwill cause the stamp to be destroyed or at least so damaged as to make it unlikely that the attempt will not be detected.

The material used for the transfer body or ink base is preferably a white one, but obviously it vmay be colored, if for any reason white should not be preferred, or a colorless and transparent' coating of the transfer body material Ill may be used when desired.

While thenovel methodand article have been' described above in detail, particularly in connection with the production of stamp transfers. the invention contemplates the production of decalcomania transfers suitable for many purposes, and it is not, therefore, the desire to be limited' as to the 'methodor the product' except to the extent indicated by the claim which follows.

What is claimed is:

A method' of making decalcomania transfers which includes applying a coating of Water ab,- sorptive adhesive to a Web of backing paper and at least partially drying said adhesive, applying on said adhesive a continuous coat of a Wet ink base material which will be fragile when dry and brushing said coat in such manner as to give Aa smooth surface and a uniform over-all'thick- 

